from the heart of my home

I have tried so many different recipes for chili. I’ve liked most of them. But one day, time was a little tight so I made chili the easy way….all from canned ingredients. And let me tell ya, I think this is our new favorite chili! It works for me.

First, brown a pound of ground beef (or turkey) and a small onion in a pan.

Here is all you’ll need to add to that meat:

Just let the pot simmer for a little while so all the flavors can marry. The beans (and it must be THAT brand of beans) are seasoned exactly right for us…not too spicy hot, but loads of flavor.

And if you want to add even more deliciousness (and calories!), top it with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese.

In large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, black pepper, & marinara sauce; blend well , being careful to not overwork the meat or else it becomes tough. Divide meat evenly to form into 4 patties. Arrange patties in a large skillet lightly coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; brown patties for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until they reach desired level of doneness. Place 1 piece of cheese on each patty and continue to cook for 1 minute or until cheese melts.

Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato, if you desire. I often eat this bunless with cottage cheese and a green salad.

It may seem strange to add corned beef to this, however it adds such an interesting taste to this mix. The texture of the corned beef is similar to the hamburger when cooked. You honestly don’t realize it is in there, but it sure is missed if this is made without it. My mother used to make this meal for me and my brother. She kept the corned beef ingredient secret from us. I didn’t realize this was the “secret ingredient” until I was grown and asked for the recipe to make for my own family. You can decrease the amount of chili powder if your stomach is sensitive to this ingredient.

I usually serve this with chips and veggies or fruit for a quick meal. This recipe is easy to make into a double or triple batch and divide up into freezer containers. Just remember to take it out of the freezer in the morning to allow it to thaw. I usually reheat in the microwave.

A new favorite for my younger children. They seem to like this better than my “sloppy joes”. This is an adaptation of a recipe I saw on TV (probably the Food Network), but I cannot remember what show I was watching. The chicken broth is the key to this one. It doesn’t make sense, but this recipe is just not as good if made with beef broth.

Loose Meat Sandwiches

1 pound ground beef

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1 cup chicken broth

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add the seasonings and chicken broth. Simmer until the chicken broth has reduced until almost gone, continuing to crumble the ground beef in the liquid. In the end, you ground beef will be finely crumbled and the mixture moist. Serve on buns. Yields approx 4 sandwiches.

I think the following recipe has made the rounds of many recipe exchange lists for the past several years. It was originally published in my favorite foodie magazine Taste of Home in 2000. The author of this recipe is Katy Bowron. The only thing I’ve changed from her origina recipe is to use bread crumbs instead of Katy’s suggestion of quick oats as a binder. My kids didn’t like to “see” the oats. Teamed with my Parsley Potatoes and a green veggie, this is what I call a “comfort” meal.

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, bread crumbs, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

These can be made ahead of time and frozen. Prepare the meatloaves as directed, but don’t add the ketchup sauce. Place the formed meatloaves on a tray and place in the freezer for a few hours. When the loaves are frozen, place them into a freezer bag or container, label and date and return to the freezer. When you want to prepare them for dinner, take out as many as you want, place on a tray and bake as directed. You can bake from the frozen state, just add about 15-20 minutes to your cooking time and check the internal temperature often to make sure that you have cooked the meat completely. Add the ketchup sauce in the last 30 minutes so it doesn’t burn.